Laurel County
Dateline: London
Tall pines were catching the midday sun when I drove off the interstate onto KY 80 and headed into London. It’s a professional town, especially for the dozens of lawyers who practice in Main Street offices just steps away from the state and federal courthouses downtown. But London also has another identity — adventure tourism destination.
Lake life has been a selling point here since boaters from Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana and other states first started trailing their rigs to Laurel River Lake decades ago. The 5,600-acre reservoir in the Daniel Boone National Forest is only 12 miles from London off KY 192/Laurel River Road and is a destination for boaters, paddlers, beach goers, and scuba divers. I earned my PADI open water diver certification 25 years ago in this lake and am not surprised that it continues to be a go-to dive location for those looking for clean lake water and cool underwater scenery. Rock formations and underwater buildings can be spotted if you know where to look.
Along part of the shore runs the Laurel Lake Trail, a mountain-biking trail that’s often combined with a section of the Sheltowee Trace for a satisfying 11-mile adventure. Beginners may have a hard time taking the longer route because of rolling gains in elevation, but that’s OK – this area has options for cyclists of every ability, and one of the best starts on U.S. 25 in downtown London.
Redbud Ride®
Yellow “Share the Road” signs spotted roadside around the county remind motorists that this longtime lake spot has another major sports attraction: road cycling. That’s right — London and Laurel County are home to the Redbud Ride®, a world-class cycling event that draws over 1,400 people each year from across the U.S. and beyond.
Now one of Kentucky’s premier road cycling rides, the Redbud Ride® offers four route options, from a 24-mile family/beginner route to a 100-mile Century Ride that cyclists have ranked one of the nation’s best. All four routes begin and end in London, trademarked in recent years as The Cycling Capital of Kentucky®.
Much of the legwork (pun intended) for the event (and for London’s ascendancy as a cycling destination) was handled by avid cyclist and now-retired London-Laurel County Tourist Commission Executive Director Rodney Hendrickson. The former local tourism leader has found traces of London on his out-of-state cycling trips thanks to the London-based ride, with recent Redbud Ride® jersey spottings in both Colorado and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
Hendrickson credits the continued dedication of local tourism agencies — plus a good state and local road system and other local amenities — for making cycling work in Laurel County, adding “London, in my opinion, became popular for road cycling because someone can ride 200 miles on fairly smooth, paved roads with little car traffic.”
If you want to experience cycling in London and Laurel County but can’t fit the Redbud Ride® into your schedule (the ride’s typically held in April but is postponed to Saturday, Oct. 10 this year due to COVID-19), there are other cycling events to mark on your calendar:
–The 63-mile Thriller Route (which includes shorter Halloween-themed routes),
–The 27-mile Hopper Creek Route through southeastern Laurel County beginning at Crooked Creek Golf Club, and;
-The 5.5-mile Broken Spoke Mountain Bike Trail in Levi Jackson Wilderness Road Park.
[Food Log – The Abbey Restaurant]
Pub food is supposed to be simple and good, and that’s exactly the kind of food that The Abbey on N. Main in London offers. My lunch choice was a turkey-avocado-bacon sandwich, with a side of fried dill pickles & Ranch dressing that I shared with my husband (fair is fair — he bought my gas!). Bison, beef, chicken, pasta, and salads are also on the menu at this British-themed restaurant, with plenty of indoor and outdoor seating and a full-service bar.
Levi Jackson Wilderness Road Park
Modern amenities that distinguish Laurel County today would have amazed early settlers who traveled to the area through the Cumberland Gap along the Wilderness Road. The rough-and-wild path blazed by Daniel Boone and a team of axmen would later accommodate horse-drawn wagons bringing entire families to what was then still part of Virginia. (By 1792, Kentucky would become the 15th state.)
Travelers today can explore life along the Wilderness Road just four miles south of London at Levi Jackson Wilderness Road Park where a paved portion of the Wilderness Road (now part of KY 229) and Boone’s Trace — another trail cleared by Boone — still exist.
The Treetop Adventure at Levi Jackson
Walk or wind your way by car into the park and look for signs to the Treetop Adventure at Levi Jackson. This aerial fun park is currently closed due to COVID-19 but is expected to reopen later this year, and it certainly appears worth the wait. Zip lines, rope bridges and suspended tunnels create “aerial trails” high in the trees, with five different trails to choose from based on skill level.
Safety is important, so climbers are required to wear a harness and receive a safety orientation before they head into the treetops. Park guides are available for assistance throughout the experience.
There is an admission fee for this event — tickets for children ages 7 through 9 are $20 each, with admission for older children and adults set at $26. Special pricing is available for groups of 15 or more and Laurel County residents.
If you have time, stop and enjoy a snack or picnic at the many shaded picnic tables in the park before or after your adventure. You may also want to explore the Mountain Life Museum & Gift Shop or other park attractions.
Dateline: Corbin
About 10 miles south of Levi Jackson Wilderness Road Park on U.S. 25 is Corbin, the birthplace of the Colonel’s Original Recipe® and world-famous Kentucky Fried Chicken. But did you know that this southern town (only a portion of which lies in Laurel County) also has world-class natural beauty? Yep, in spades.
Sheltowee Trace Trail
Trekkers who don’t already know about the Sheltowee Trace will have a chance to get acquainted on their visit to Corbin. A portion of the 323-mile trail passes Cumberland Falls and Laurel River Lake as it runs from Tennessee to northeast Kentucky through the Daniel Boone National Forest. Hikers can explore 20.8 miles of the trail from KY 90 at Cumberland Falls north to KY 192 at Laurel River Lake. There’s also trailhead access a bit further north off Bee Creek Road.
Fun Fact: Medicinal springs were found in Laurel County during the heyday of America’s natural spring resorts in the mid-to-late 1800s. Sublimity Springs and Rockcastle Springs were popular among relief seekers from Kentucky and beyond. A 1942 article lists boating, fishing, “ten-pins,” “quoits,” billiards, and dancing among Rockcastle Springs’ many “amusements.”
Sheltowee Trace Adventure Resort
We decided to stick close to home this year, so we canceled our summer trip to Maine and opted for a few days with Sheltowee Trace Adventure Resort off KY. 90 in Corbin instead. This place has one of the most organized web presences I’ve ever seen, with complete packages for day trips, overnight stays, or longer vacations easily scheduled online.
What better way to spend a Kentucky summer than paddling or hiking around its spectacular southern waterways and waterfalls?
It would be impossible to cover all that Sheltowee Trace Adventure Resort offers in this blog, but here’s a list to get you started with your trip planning.
–Whitewater rafting (“Cumberland Below the Falls”)
–Canoeing and kayaking on the Cumberland River, Big South Fork, and Laurel River Lake
–Bike trips, zip line, & climbing wall
–Stand Up Paddle Board (SUP) below Cumberland Falls
-Boat trips (“Rainbow Mist”) below the Falls
-Riverboat cruises (chartered) on Cumberland Star Riverboat
[Food Log – The Wrigley]
Local food and local ownership are standards met daily by The Wrigley Taproom & Eatery on S. Main Street in Corbin where the menu is built on fresh ingredients sourced largely from Executive Chef Kristin M. Smith’s farm. The self-described “local digs” also offers an expansive list of craft cocktails, craft beer, and Kentucky bourbon. Carryout and delivery available.
Dateline: Livingston (Rockcastle County)
I opted to head home via U.S 25 north which led me beside the Rockcastle River Trading Company – a stately yet warm property with dark red buildings peeping over roadside foliage just past the Laurel County line.
The business and its lush grounds belong to the family of American gardener Jon Carloftis (renowned for rooftop garden design in NYC and beyond), adding up to something simply lovely.
Visitors are encouraged to tour the property and do a little shopping at the home and garden store on the grounds. Hours and contact information, as well as information documenting the career of Jon Carloftis, can be found on his website.
The landscaped beauty of RRTC runs along the Rockcastle River, another Kentucky wonder worth exploring. This 55-mile wild waterway runs toward the Cumberland River along the borders of Rockcastle and Laurel counties and is known as one of the state’s “most overlooked whitewater floats.“ Some say it is one of the best whitewater streams in the eastern U.S.
Still curious? You can learn more about what Laurel County has to offer by visiting the websites of the London Tourist Commission, the London-Laurel County Tourist Commission, and the Corbin Tourism and Convention Commission.
Featured image: Laurel River Lake. Credit: Kentucky Department of Tourism
